Over 225,000 consumers in Southwest Florida now own a smart speaker. Ownership of these devices, including Amazon Echo and Google Home, has grown five-fold since the beginning of 2017.

According to Adobe Analytics, significantly  more consumers are asking Siri and Alexa to play music than any other activity.

Many SWFL small business owners depend on Fort Myers radio to advertise their goods and service. So, how does the use of smart speakers as an audio device affect their radio advertising's ability to reach local consumers? The answer is: none at all.

In 1940, WFTM became the first radio station to serve Southwest Florida. Today, 807,219 adult consumers tune-in to Fort Myers radio stations every week. This is significantly more than watch local TV or read newspapers. 

SWFL small business owners, however, also want to know how local radio compares to streaming audio platforms like Pandora and Spotify, especially as it relates to advertising. The answer could surprise many of them.

Pandora was created to provide a personalized radio station catering to the musical preferences of each user.  The playlists were determined by a proprietary algorithm and then streamed directly to each listeners' computer. Over the next few years, the service became available on iPads and smartphones.

Low unemployment, a boom in housing starts, and confident consumers are propelling robust sales for Southwest Florida furniture stores.

In 2019, local consumers in the Fort Myers-Naples area spent $460,000,000 on furniture and home furnishing. This number is expected to grow.

Based on estimates developed by Furniture Today’s Strategic Insights team and Easy Analytic Software Inc. (EASI), the total furniture and bedding market is projected to expand by more than 22% by 2024.

If an SWFL small business owner who sells furniture, furnishings, or home decor would like to grab a larger share of this expanding market, then advertising is necessary.  By almost every key metric, advertising on local radio is a sound marketing investment.

Small business owners have been advertising on Fort Myers radio since the first station, WFTM, went on the air in 1940.  By almost every metric, the medium remains the best way to successfully market goods and services to local consumers.

Before Southwest Florida small businesses finalize their marketing plans for this year, here are five facts they should know about radio advertising.

Southwest Florida consumers cannot get enough pizza.

In 2012, there were just 359 local pizza restaurants. Today, however, that number has grown to 388. In 2019, these establishments racked up $182,473,484 in total sales.

Fifty-nine percent of pizza sales in the Fort Myers-Naples area are rung-up by one of the top-50 chains like Domino's or Pizza Hut. The remaining 41% of revenue is controlled by independent, small business owners.

To compete for a larger share of the pizza pie in SWFL requires local restaurant owners to bring in new customers. A proven way to accomplish this is with advertising.

The US Small Business Administration recommends that every Fort Myers area small business advertise consistently.  

Consumers in Southwest Florida spent a record $1.3 billion on home improvements in 2019. This level of spending is projected to drop modestly next year, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“Declining home sales and home-building activity coupled with slower gains in permitting for improvement projects will put the brakes on remodeling growth,” says Chris Herbert, the center’s managing director.

“However, if falling mortgage interest rates continue to incentivize home sales, refinancing, and ultimately remodeling activity, the slowdown may soften some.”

If Fort Myers-Naples area small businesses that sell home improvement products and services would like to continue to grow despite the softening market, then advertising will be required.

Southwest Florida small business owners need employees...desperately.

According to a report from the National Federation of Independent Business, 26% of small business owners say finding qualified workers is their number one problem. 

The report goes on to say that 88% of small business owners looking to hire new employees are finding there are no qualified candidates.

The historically low unemployment figures in the Fort Myers-Naples area appears to be the root cause of local hiring woes. The metro area's jobless rate stands at 2.8%. There are just not enough qualified workers to go around.

Most small business owners have exhausted the traditional methods of recruitment. These include online job board posts, newspaper ads, referral bonuses, and help wanted signs. All to no avail.

To successfully attract the qualified applicants they yearn for, local small business owners need to command the attention of 'passive' job seekers. The number one source for these candidates is Fort Myers radio.

For Southwest Florida small business owners who depend on Valentine's Day to spike first-quarter sales, this year could prove to be a battle as the decline in celebrants is expected to continue.

Based on estimates from the National Retail Federation, 523,000 SWFL consumers will be participating in the holiday this year. This is 20% fewer than ten years ago.

There is good news, however, for local  business owners. Although there are will be fewer customers, local Valentine's Day spending is expected to grow to $84.8-million. This is 28% higher than a decade ago.

So, how does a local retailer or restaurant win the battle for the hearts and wallets of romantic consumers?  Advertising is a necessary weapon to win this war.

No weapon is as potent as advertising on Fort Myers radio.

Small business owners in Southwest Florida must advertise to claim a fair share of the $22.7 billion retail economy.

“Think you have a great product?” asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”  The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business."

During 2019, many SWFL small business owners sought advertising guidance on the advice pages of www.AdvertiseInFortMyers.com. Below are the top ten most-read articles from the past 12 months.

Technology is changing the way people in Southwest Florida consume media. This includes streaming audio platforms like Pandora and Spotify or the ability to watch Netflix on a smartphone.

But one thing has not changed.  That thing with the buttons and knobs that's been part of a car's dashboard since 1930. The contraption called radio.

Some small business owners believe the medium is outdated, and nobody listens to it anymore. But, contrary to that view, radio still reaches 92% of all consumers in America.

In SWFL, for example, last week significantly more consumers tuned-in to their favorite Fort Myers radio stations than watched local TV; read a newspaper; logged-on to Facebook, or signed-in to Pandora or Spotify.